Automatic gas cut-off



Cet. 8, 1935. Y CHRISTENSEN 2,016,484

AUTOMATIC GAS CUT-OFF Filed June 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

UCL 8, 1935. H. H. cHRlsTr-:NSEN

` AUTOMATIC GAS CUT-OFF 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0/0 NNN Filed June 24, 1933 INVENTOR. How/mn H. (kmsreusen ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC GAS CUT-OFF Howard H. Christensen, San Antonio, Tex.

Application June 24, 1933, Serial No. 677,403

6 Claims.

extent that the llame in the gas burning appli-` ance is extinguished.

1o Another object of my invention is in the construction whereby the flow of gas to the gas burning appliance is cut off indefinitely and must be reopened manually after same has automatically cut off.

Still another object is in its construction whereby the device is fool-proof and tamperproof as well as being fully protected from weather con-ditions. In the event anyone should turn the mechanism on the gas cut-off accidentally while the gas burning appliances are burning it will not effect the cut-off and will not cut the gas oiT to said appliances, thereby avoiding and eliminating the hazard of explosions and res.

Another feature of the invention is the fact that the. device has only one moving part on its exterior, said part capableof revolving in either direction for the purpose of reopening the flow of gas to the gas burning appliances, after having Vbeen automatically cut off due to a decided def crease in the pressure of the gas in the main gasv line or its failure to flow.

With. these chief objectsv in view, the invention has particular reference toits salient features of construction and arrangement of parts by which the said objects. are obtained and which will be enumerated inthe course of the following description of detail and illustration.

In the accompanying. drawings like characters or references indicate like parts in the several views, and:

Figure 1: is a vertical cross-sectional view of the invention, snowing the device in a locked position.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the revolving cap latch releasing member.

Figure. 3 is an elevational view of the collar male engaging member.y

Figure 4 is an elevational View of the tubular member forming a receptacle at its lower end and provided with an eccentric ear extending therefrom.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the casing; showing the parts therein in elevation and disclosing the position of the same unlocked.

Figure 6 is a modification of the inverted cup iioat partly in elevation and partly in section.

. Proceeding now more in detail with the drawings, attention is directed to Figure 1, in which, is illustrated the invention in a locked position with 6 the gas cut off. The gas cut-off is provided with a casing I and a threaded cover 2. The cover 2 is provided with a tubular member 3 extending downward into an annular receptacle 4. The

receptacle 4 is filled with mercury 5 thereby pre- 10 venting any escape of gas therethrough. An eccentric cam ear 6 extends from the outer periphery of the receptacle 4. The receptacle 4 has an elongated tubular member 'I extending upward through the cover 2 and is threaded at its upper 15 portion. A collar 8 is screwed on the tubular member l, and is held in a fixed position on the member 'I by. means of set screw 9. The collar 8 is provided with openings I0 in its lower end, and has a male engaging head I I. head II engages the revolving cap member I2. This cap I2 is counter-sunk in its center to permit a pentagon shaped lock nut I 3 to be screwed onto tubular member l. A threaded plug I4 is screwed into the upper end of the tubular member 1. The 25- revolving cap I2 forms a housing for the cover 2 andy the parts extending. therethrough. The cover 2 has a conical recess I5 in vits upper portion. Two or more iingers I5 of irregular lengths are pivotally mounted on the tubular member 3, said 30 fingers IE extending downward and inward. The fingers I6 are capable of holding and latching an inverted cup I'I in a downward locked position by meansof an elongated guide stem I8 which extends upward into the tubular member l, this 35 stem I8 is provided with a shoulder I9 and is inwardly tapered on its top portion 20 which acts as the latching means.v The inverted cup I1 is attached to the stem I3.. 'Ihe shoulder I 9 is provided with ports 2 I.. A series of openings 22 are 40- provided in the lower end of the inverted cup` I'I. An auxiliary buoyant member 23 is situated on the extreme lower end of the cup I1. The casing I has a quantity of mercury 24 inside its lower portion. A mercury drain plug 25 is screwed into 45 thel casing I. The casing I is provided with a gas inlet 2t and outlet 2l. A tubular stem 28 extends upward within the casing I at its gas inlet 26.

When the gas cut-off has been installed, the cap i2 is removed by removing pentagon lock nut I3, then a predetermined amount of mercury is poured into the conical recess I5 whereby the mercury will flow through ports IIl in the collar 9 down through the tubular member 3 into the receptacle 4. By continuing to pour the mercury The male engaging 20 into the receptacle 4l it will overflow allowing the mercury to run into the trap at the lower end of the casing I. In the event any mercury falls into the tapered recess of the shoulder I3, it will pass out through ports 2 I. The cap I2 and locknut I3 is then replaced.

The gas cut-oil` is now ready for operation, and attention is directed to Figure 5 wherein the device is in an unlocked position and shows the inverted cup I 'i in a raised position due to its buoyancy and the pressure of gas passing within and through the cup Il. In this View is also shown the fingers I5 disengaged. It is apparent when the pressure decreases to any predetermined degree or the gas entirely ceases to iiow from any cause, the cup I'I will settle downward into the mercury allowing the lingers I5 to fall into the recess 20 of the shoulder I9, thereby locking the inverted cup I 'I in a submerged position which prevents the gas from iiowing through the ports 22, in the event the gas starts flowing again.

At this point the gas cut-oil is now in a locked and cut off position as illustrated ln Figure l. To reopen and unlock the cut-oli and to permit the gas to now again the cap I2 is revolved in either direction one complete revolution, whereby the eccentric'cam ear 5 is revolved due to the fact that it is attached to receptable I which has an elongated tubular member 'I extending upward and is provided with a threaded collar 3 and held in a iixed position on the tubular member 1 by means of set screw 9. The collar 9 engages the cap I2 by means of male and female joint I I. It will readily be seen that when the eccentric ear Ei Vis revolved one complete revolution the ear 5 will disengage and unlock the longest of the fingers IS one at a time until all the fingers I5 are disengaged and unlocked as shown in Figure 5. The purpose of having the lingers I6 of irregular lengths is to cause the unlocking and disengagement of the lingers I6 more positive.

Figure 6 is a modification of the inverted cup Il which is provided with an auxiliary inverted cup 29 and buoyant member 3e.

The gas cut-off is adapted to be positioned either before or between the conventional gas meter and the gas pipe leading to the various gas burning appliances. In either event the flow oi' gas will pass into the gas cut-off through the inlet 26 and tubular member 28 and through the port holes 22 in the inverted cup I'I and will then egress through the outlet 21.

While only one form of each element ln the invention has been described herein it should be `understood that the invention is capable of considerable variation, and such variation as is within the scope of the annexed claims is considered within the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a gas cut-oli of the character described comprising a housing, a gas inlet and a gas outlet, a liquid reservoir in the bottom portion of said housing, a buoyant gas receiving member capable of floating on said fluid having gas port holes near the bottom thereof, said gas receiving buoyant member capable of submerging its bottom portion into said liquid and stopping the flow of gas therethrough when the gas pressure decreases to a predetermined degree, a guide stem.

`member extending upwardly from said buoyant member and having an annular shoulder thereon, a plurality of pivotally suspended iingers of irregular lengths extending downward within said housing adapted to engage the shoulder and lock the buoyant member in a closed position until manually unlocked, and rotatable exterior means for Vdisengaging and unlocking said lingers and said buoyant member allowing gas to liow through the device.

2. In a gas cut-off comprising a housing and a gas tight cover, a gas inlet and a gas outlet, a liquid reservoir in the bottom portion of the housing, an inverted buoyant cup member disposed in said liquid reservoir, gas port holes within the lower portion of the inverted cup member, said cup member adapted to out oii and reopen the liow of gas through the device by actuating in the liquid reservoir, an elongated guide stem connected to the top of the inverted cup member, said guide stem being provided with a locking shoulder,V pivotally mounted locking lingers extending downwardly within the housing adapted to engage the shoulder and automatically locking the inverted cup member in a submerged position in the liquid reservoir and preventing the flow of gas therethrough when the gas pressure decreases decidedly, said locking ngers being of irregular lengths, and capable of disengagement with the shoulder one at a time, a rotatable cap exteriorly positioned on top of the said cover having a tubular member connected and extending downward through the cover and into the housing, said tubular member forming a cup at its lower end, a quantity of uid in said cup, a tubular stem extending downward from said cover into said liquid in the cup preventing the escapement of gas therethrough, a laterally extending ear on said cup member, said exterior cap, connected tubular member, cup member and eccentric ear being all capable of rotation in either direction and simultaneously manually operated to move the ear into successive engagement with the ringer to unlock and disengage Said lingers, said cover having a conical recess for iilling said fluid cup with liquid and permitting the liquid to overflow in said cup allowing the fluid to fall into the fluid reservoir in the bottom of the housing, as herein described.

3 In a gas cut-oli comprising a housing, a cover closing said housing gas-tight, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet, a tubular stem extending upward from said inlet within the housing forming a iiuid reservoir therein, a buoyant member for closing and opening said inlet, means operatively connected within said housing to automatically lock said buoyant member in a submerged cut of position, an exterior manually operated member having means extending into said housing to unlock and allow gas to now through the device, a fluid sealing means to prevent the escapement of gas through the upper portion of the device, means for lilling said fluid sealing means, the iiuid reservoir being supplied with fluid, that overiiows from the fluid sealing means.

4. In an automatic gas. cut-olf, a casing, a gas inlet in the bottom thereof, a gas outlet, the lower portion of the casing constituting a liquid reservoir, a buoyant cupmember movable over the gas inlet and having a series of ports in the lower portion thereof through which the gas flows when the cup member is in its raised position and the ports are positioned above the liquid in said reservoir, the cup member being lowered to submerge the ports in the liquid when the gas pressure decreases below a predetermined degree to cut off the flow of the gas to the outlet, a latch pivotally suspended within the upper part of the casing, means carried by the cup member engaged by the latch to lock the cup in its lowered position, a manually rotatable member arranged in the top of the casing, and a trip element carried by the rotatable member for releasing the latch to permit the return of the cup member to its normally raised position when the gas pressure reaches a predetermined pressure.

5. In an automatic gas cut-01T, a casing, a gas inlet in the bottom thereof, a gas outlet, the lower portion of the casing constituting a liquid reservoir, a buoyant cup member movable over the gas inlet and having a series of ports in the lower portion thereof through which the gas flows when the cup member is in its raised position and the ports are positioned above the liquid in said reservoir, the cupmember being lowered to submerge the ports in the liquid when the gas pressure decreases below a predetermined degree to' out off the flow of the gas to the outlet, a stem extending upwardly from the top of the cup member, a shoulder formed on said stem, a plurality of fingers pivotally suspended at their upper ends in the upper portion of the casing, the lower free ends of the finger being adapted to engage the shoulder to lock the cup in its lowered position, a manually rotatable member arranged in the top of the casing, and a laterally extending trip element carried by the rotatable member and adapted to successively engage the pivoted fingers to release the same from engage ment with said shoulder, whereby to permit the return of the cup member to its normally raised position when the gas pressure again reaches a predetermined degree.

6. In an automatic gas cut-off, a casing, a gas inlet in the bottom thereof, a gas outlet, the lower portion of the casing constituting a liquid reservoir, a buoyant cup member movable over the gas inlet and having a series of ports in the lower portion thereof through which the gas flows when the cup member is in its raised position and the ports are positioned above the liquid in .said reservoir, the cup member being lowered to submerge the ports in the liquid when the gas pressure decreases below a predetermined degree to cut o? the flow of the gas to the outlet, a manually rotatable cap in the top of the casing, a fluid receiving receptacle depending from the cap, the liquid in the reservoir being supplied thereto by the overflow from said receptacle, a plurality of various length lingers pivotally suspended at their upper ends within 20 the upper portion of the casing, a shoulder element carried by said cup and with which the free ends of the lingers engage to lock the cup in its lowered position, and a trip forming ear extending laterally from the receptacle and 25 HOWARD H. CHRISTENSEN. 

